Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Chefsaround Malaysia Home-Cooked Meals

Spotlighting than 280 home chefs throughout the Klang Valley, Chefsaround is a fun new platform for customers to support independent F&B talents & savour a vast variety of lovingly cooked temptations delivered to your doorstep. It's a convenient way to muster up meals for a casual evening with the family or a celebration with friends, promising everything from laksa Sarawak to Parisian beef stew, Nyonya ayam pongteh to UK shepherd's pie, Vietnamese pho bo to Thai lemongrass prawns.

We had a Chefsaround feast this month, sampling recipes from eight different chefs. What we appreciate is the platform's ability to give us an insightful glimpse into these chef's personal stories - browse the Chefsaround website & you'll learn that chef Christina first began selling her own-made nasi lemak in Seremban before moving to Puchong. She insists her passion for cooking has never wavered, & this fervour shows in her food - her Mee Siam (RM8.25) is as lip-smacking as we had hoped, & her Cucur Udang (RM6 for two) is even better, with each thick, tender fritter featuring plenty of fresh, crisp prawns.

Chef Ummi, who got her start by studying her mom in the kitchen, is responsible for this Baba Prawn Mee, rich with the nuances of santan & serai (RM8.85). Ordering via Chefsaround is pretty direct - you can communicate with each chef via the website's chat facilities or on the phone to place a booking. Customers can consult with the chef on whether to personally pick up their order, have it sent by GoGet.my, or even dine at the chef's home.

The entire spectrum of Malaysian cuisine is represented at Chefsaround; fans of Indian fare can check out chef Kumales' mutton peratal with steamed rice, rassam & stir-fried vegetables (RM10.13) - a nice box to bring to the office. We had this for lunch the next day, & it was a hearty midday treat, well-balanced with soulful dynamics - the building blocks of home cooking.

The breadth of Chefsaround's repertoire extends to interesting American & European-inspired grub: We love the stacked-up bagel by a husband-&-wife team of fitness trainers - he also happens to be a San Francisco-trained baker. This chicken bagel is mighty impressive, perfectly proportioned for a hefty bite & a fulfilling chew, with the most impressive components being the fragrant sesame bagel & tasty, textured chicken patty, sandwiched with egg & veggies for a nutritious chow-down. RM18.50.

Chef Farah has come a long way in her informal culinary schooling, from mastering classic Malay dishes taught by her grandmother to learning about other cuisines through her husband, a professional chef. Her aglio olio is a tribute to her spouse, & it's ideal for local palates seeking a gateway into Western fare - well-prepared pasta accompanied by punchy BBQ chicken wings & a better-than-average muffin to wrap things up. For RM11, it's a wallet-winning bargain.

For us, Chefsaround's piece de resistance is quite the show-stopper - the porchetta by mother-&-daughter gastronomic practitioners Christina & Sabrina is skilfully executed, with each layer providing its own level of enjoyment, from the crackling to the flesh to the herb stuffing, precisely what we want from porchetta. A RM140 serving is substantial enough for 10 people.

What's in the box? Christina & Sabrina return as well to supply our final encore of a banoffee pie - chocolate-laced buttery biscuit crust, blanketed with bananas & toffee, coated further with a final flourish of coffee-flavoured whipped cream - an irresistible indulgence to the last blissfully luscious bite. Many thanks to the Chefsaround team for feeding us immensely well.

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I love the idea of food delivery...but it's always the delivery charges that put me off. My idea of food delivery is when you find yourself home alone or super busy and wants a quick meal that you don't have to go out to buy or cook. If you're ordering for a few pax, then it's not a problem, but if you're ordering for one, the charge ends up costing one-third of the price of your meal and not worth it. Chefsaround seems to have an insane number of choices, so I'll be sure to check it out.

Contact.ewew: that's true - i think chefsaround could be interesting for you to check out, since you have a few members in your family at home, and you could maybe order a large portion to eat on the day itself and also to refrigerate for the following day's lunch or dinner. for someone like me who doesn't get 'real' home-cooked meals very often, this was enjoyable to experience :)